Stags hoping to hang onto Green as transfer deadline looms next week

John Lomas

Mansfield Town boss Adam Murray today said he would be a relieved man once the August transfer window closes as speculation mounts about clubs coming in for goal ace Matt Green.

Murray revealed over the weekend that the club had turned down an official bid from a higher division club, rumoured to be Bradford City, and had no intention of selling their prize asset unless someone made an offer too good to refuse by the end of next Wednesday.

“Nothing has changed at the minute as far as I am concerned,” said Murray.

“Matt Green is a Mansfield player and he is going to stay a Mansfield player unless someone tells me something different.

“If Matt wanted to go or if the bid was too good to turn down, you’ve got to understand everyone in the world has a price on their head.

“But we want to keep our best players. I spoke to the chairman and he is of the same point of view – we don’t need to sell. But by the same token, everybody has a value.

“If Matt wanted to leave the football club then that’s a different ball game altogether.

“That would be a different conversation and one we haven’t had yet. Matt is very positive in his future at Mansfield Town. I know he loves the club and he sees himself as a big part of it.

“We will wait and see what happens. There was a little bit of dialogue yesterday.”

However, Murray stressed that he hadn’t been serious about the £5m price tag he said he would want for Green last week.

“You get asked a question in press about how much do you want for Matt Green and you have a joke you want £5m – the next thing you know, it’s Adam Murray says Green is worth £5m. So let’s now say £200m,” he smiled. “Let’s see how that one hits the headlines!”

Nevertheless, Murray has a job to do at the club and knows if serious money was offered he might have to say goodbye to his star man and good friend.

“He is a friend more than anything, so it’s a tough one,” he said.

“The players I have got here that I’ve played with and played against for years and years, I have really strong relationships with them.

“But they all know we have to have a professional line. I have to do what’s right for the football club. That’s my job. That’s what the chairman employs me to do. Every decision I make has to be right for the football club.

“Matt is a tricky one as we’ve been through a lot together. I love him to bits as a bloke and as a footballer. I think he’s done a lot for Mansfield Town. But you never know in this game what’s around the corner do you?

“My focus is on keeping Matt Green. So unless something extraordinary comes out of the woodwork in the next seven to 10 days, Greeny will still be a Mansfield player and he is under contract for the next two years.

“The rules of your contract are you have to give 100 per cent for the cause and Greeny has always done that. So I expect him to continue to do that.”

Nevertheless, should the unthinkable happen and Green leaves next week, Murray is already making sure he has options in the wings and isn’t left in the lurch.

“You never know what’s round the corner,” he said. “The water can be settled at one point. Then big daddy jumps in and there’s ripples and waves everywhere the next minute. You never know what’s going to happen.